Rajasthan govt tables Bill to regulate coaching centres amid student suicides

Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma speaks in the State Legislative Assembly, in Jaipur.
| Photo Credit: ANI

A Bill to regulate and control the coaching centres was introduced in the Rajasthan Assembly on Wednesday (March 19, 2025) with the objective of offering a secure and supportive learning environment to students. The Bill came amid the continuing instances of student suicides in the coaching hub of Kota.

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Deputy Chief Minister Prem Chand Bairwa, who holds the higher education portfolio, tabled the Rajasthan Coaching Centres (Control and Regulation) Bill, 2025, in the House, calling it a welfare measure for the coaching students. The debate on the Bill will be held in the Assembly on March 21.

As many as 28 students died by suicide in Kota in 2023, while 17 died in 2024. At least seven coaching students have committed suicide so far this year. With a sharp decline in the number of students joining the NEET, IIT-JEE, IIM, and CLAT coaching institutes, the city has responded to the signs of distress and launched various initiatives to bring them back.

The State Cabinet had approved the Bill on March 8, observing that the high-pressure environment created by several of the coaching centres had led to “widespread disillusionment and despair” among students. Mr. Bairwa said when the outcomes did not match expectations, the stress levels had led to suicides in several instances.

The proposed legislation makes it mandatory for all coaching institutes to get registered and will bring the coaching centres with 50 or more students under the legal ambit. A Coaching Centres’ Control and Regulation Authority will also be established in the State to oversee the implementation of the law.

According to the Statement of Objects and Reasons, the Bill marks a decisive step to curb commercialisation of coaching institutes and ensure that they operate within a stipulated framework. A penalty of ₹2 lakh will be imposed on coaching centres for violation of certain sections, ₹5 lakh for a subsequent offence, and cancellation of registration if there is a repeat violation.

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The coaching institutes will no longer be allowed to charge arbitrary fees and they must provide a stress-free environment for students, besides refunding fees on discontinuation of coaching. A State-level portal and helpline for counselling will also be created under the proposed statute.

However, the owners of coaching institutes in Kota, Jaipur and Sikar have expressed concern over the Bill’s provisions and their potential impact on their business. The regulation of coaching fees, code of conduct for the institutes, restriction on the number of students, monitoring of prospectus and the onus of providing counsellors’ support will make an adverse impact on the coaching economy, according to the institute operators.